4 Stats that prove QB Matt Ryan can still be a starter in the NFL

3. Matt Ryan was 14th in passing first downs despite playing in only 12 games

One of the main goals of an NFL quarterback is to keep the chains moving on your way to the end zone and that is something Matt Ryan did remarkably well last season despite being in a dysfunctional offense.

Matt Ryan was able to pass for 156 first downs which tied him with Daniel Jones for the 14th most in the NFL.

However, that does not tell the whole story. Every player ahead of him played in more games. Tua Tagovailoa (who was throwing to some explosive receivers) is the only player above him who played in less than 15 games. Eight of those players played in all 17 regular season games, three played in 16 games (including Daniel Jones), and two played in 15 games. The 13 first downs per game pace he was on would have landed him seventh on the list if he were to have played in all 17 games.

To make it even more impressive, Matt's receivers had the third-lowest average yards after catch in the NFL. He did as much as he could with as little as he had.